Winter's Loss
by LadyZelthePen
Summary: The logical side of him had won. He would never let anyone cross the border again. No one had to suffer as he did.


**I love Tinkerbell, honestly. I loves it. And when I first saw Secret of the Wings, I was so squee-happy, I had to write something. So many good moments in that one, and the fact Queen Clarion once had a romance... EEK! Anyhoo, I wrote this based on the events of the movie. It was never really explained how Milori's accident occured; this is just my take on it.**

**Enjoy! **

Milori turned his back toward the reflective glass, looking over his shoulder. It really wasn't that bad, he supposed. Others might see it that way but... There were worse things to endure. As much others would worry and give their condolences for the situation, he wasn't going to let what happened bring him down. Facing forward, he walked toward the window and looked out at the wintry landscape.

He should have known better, been more careful. Sighing, Milori closed his eyes and an image of her sprang to mind. They had both known the risks and disregarded them. Still, he was to blame. He could have insisted they didn't cross the border, could have forced her to stay in the warmer seasons. She had gotten lucky, for which he was thankful.

Still, it was a heavy price to pay for their foolishness. Not only had he lost his freedom, he'd lost the only woman he could ever hope of loving. Clarion- Queen Clarion, he reminded himself- had decreed a permanent separation of the warm seasons and winter. As Lord of Winter, Milori had reluctantly agreed. As much as he longed to remain by her side- with his wing broken as it was, there was no real danger of crossing into the warm seasons anymore- the logical side of Milori had won over in the end. He couldn't allow anyone to cross the border ever again. No one would have to suffer as he would.

Milori turned to look at the large pile of owl feathers sitting on the table. He smiled grimly. No one knew of his wing yet- just Dewey, Fairy Mary, and Queen Clarion. The feathers would make a nice cape, he supposed. Other fairies and sparrow-men would have their suspicions, but he would keep it hidden. As he sat and constructed the new garment, his thoughts drifted back to that day.

Clarion had persuaded him to go farther than usual- she'd mentioned the Tinker's Nook a few times before, and Milori had found himself growing increasingly curious about where all of the inventions were made. He had agreed to go with her, and Clarion had eagerly tugged him along through the Autumn Woods, through the Springtime Square, over the Pixie Dust Tree, and finally right into Tinker's Nook. It had started getting harder and harder for Milori to fly through the warmer seasons, but he usually ignored the tingling sensations in his wings. That day, however, he'd noticed it was stronger and Clarion kept having to back-track and wait for him to catch up.

Tinker's Nook was everything he'd imagined it would be and so much more. Tinker- talent fairies and sparrow men, dressed in the crisp green declaring their profession- flitted about along with various woodland creatures, fixing this and creating that. It was incredibly to watch, and Clarion had immediately introduced him to Fairy Mary.

The stout little fairy was somewhat surprised to find the Lord of Winter standing in her nook, but she took Milori's presence in stride and showed him around. Clarion followed, nearly bubbling with excitement, while Fairy Mary explained the various tools she had laying around the workshop. Milori had done his best to pay attention, but it had gotten so warm.

In the next few moments, Milori had found himself staring up at the ceiling of the workshop with a horrified Fairy Mary and Clarion hovering over him. They'd helped him up, stating he'd fainted. Fairy Mary had rushed to get some ice and cold water, and during her absence, Clarion and Milori discovered the ugly truth.

His wing had broken.

When Fairy Mary returned, she and Clarion rushed Milori back through the various sections of Pixie Hollow and crossed the border. Both warm fairies edged back toward their respective season, watching anxiously. Milori had knelt in the snow for several long moments, taking shallow breaths as evenly as he could. The tingling in his wings had decreased; the feeling in his right wing had gone away completely.

Slowly, he had turned to face the two fairies on the other side of the border. He stood, forcing a smile.

"I'm fine, Clarion. I'm fine."

She stepped forward, her hand poised as if it to touch. If they had been closer, he had no doubt she would have done so. "Milori…"

"Go home, Clarion. I'm alright. I will see you on the morrow."

Fairy Mary grasped the young queen's arm, pulling her back. Milori turned away, fighting back a grimace. His words had been cold, but he was shocked. He needed time to sort it out.

Dewey had met him there, and somehow they had made it to Dewey's sanctuary without being sighted. It wasn't time for questions Milori didn't have answers to; he and Dewey had attempted to figure out what to do. The answer to their dilemma had come in the form of a snowflake message from Queen Clarion herself. A decree stating the official division of the warm and cold seasons was in his hand, and Milori had no choice but to agree.

Now, as he stood in his spacious ice house in the Winter Woods, Milori finished the new cloak of snow white owl feathers. He stood, draping the new garment around his shoulders and glanced in the direction of the mirror.

It covered his broken wing perfectly.


End file.
